Why is my baby sick? Part 1

**Please be advised this post is graphic in some area**


Let me also preface this post by saying that Tates ‘normal’ bowel movement ‘schedule’ isn’t considered ‘normal’.  He might poop 1-4 times in a day and then not poop again for 1-4 days, that is always how he has been.  His poop might be firm and formed or mush and that is normal for him.


It all started about a month ago on a Friday afternoon.  Tates had a bloody phlegm substance in his diaper with his bowel movement (BM from here on out).  I mean it literally looked like he had sneezed brownish and reddish in his diaper.  THAT IS NOT NORMAL I thought but also thought maybe it was a fluke?  He had no other out of the ordinary symptoms of any kind so I just made a mental note and went about our day.


The next time Tates had a BM was on Sunday right after a late breakfast and I showed it to my husband (DJ) and this time it was the same phlegm only it was bright red.  We called the on-call pediatrician and she wanted to see him after I answered a bunch of questions and told her he had no other out of the ordinary symptoms (fever/diarrhea/vomiting/new foods in his diet).  So we went into her office and she examined him and said he had an anal fissure which was common and it would heal itself.


When he was still having bloody BM’s by Wednesday I called his regular pediatrician to see how long this was supposed to go on before I was supposed to worry (like I wasn’t already freaking out!) and was told to treat his fissure with external application of over the counter (OTC) bacitracin for a day and call them on Friday and update them.


Thursday afternoon he was lethargic and completely not himself.  He is a big lover and cuddle bug but he was just laying on everyone (my nieces were staying with us and my mom had come over to watch the girls and Tates while DJ, T-Bone and I had gone to an appointment that I can’t even remember what it was now!) He was burning up when we got home and was napping (at 6pm in the evening) after already taking his regular afternoon nap this was NOT like him.  I woke him up (he was sleeping on my mom, he just climbed on her and passed out!) and took his temperature, 101.  I called the on-call pediatrician (not the same one that diagnosed the fissure) and he said to take him to the ER immediately he was too hot.  

Tates with his cousin before we got home

So we rushed over to an ER (this specific ER is supposed to be the north sides equivalent to THE BEST children’s hospital in our state).  While in the ER Tates fever spiked to 102.5 and he began having a runny nose (clear to yellowish) and a wet cough. After a lengthy (7+ hours) stay in the ER with blood draws, chest x-rays and nose and throat swabs; Tates was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection.  The doctor in the ER didn’t see a fissure.  Just another weird note to add here, when the Dr. came in he told us all the tests came back normal and that Tates had an ear infection however when the nurse came in to give us discharge paperwork she stated he had an upper respiratory infection and nowhere in the paperwork was an ear infection mentioned.  Against my better judgement I took the prescription (RX) and the entire family home to get some rest.  


On the way home I dropped the RX off at the pharmacy and said I would pick it up later in the day, it was a good thing I was too tired to get mad at the fact that their system was down and they couldn’t fill it for another 5 hours anyway. Just another issue to add to the frustration and exhausted situation.


I was not comfortable with the dual diagnosis we got in the ER the night prior so I took Tates to his regular pediatrician on Friday just a few hours after being released from the ER. He was seen and we were told he didn’t have a fissure (anymore if there ever was one), didn’t have an upper respiratory infection and his ears were not infected.  His symptoms sounded viral to Dr. S. and that he should be well hydrated, given acetaminophen  for pain/fever and watched carefully for any changes and notify his office if we were concerned.


More to this story later…..